Disney’s live-action remake strategy may have finally hit its biggest roadblock yet. Despite opening at No. 1 in North America, Moana debuted with just $43 million domestically and $95 million worldwide, a surprisingly weak start for a film carrying a reported $250 million production budget. For a franchise that once looked untouchable, those numbers are difficult to ignore. The original Moana wasn’t just another Disney hit. Released in 2016, it became one of the studio’s most-streamed films, while Moana 2 crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide less than two years ago. Expectations were understandably sky-high.
Instead, audiences were greeted with a remake that many critics described as overly familiar. Rather than reimagining the beloved story, Disney largely recreated it scene for scene, leaving many viewers wondering why this version needed to exist at all.
That question may have become the film’s biggest obstacle.
The live-action adaptation introduced Catherine Laga’aia as Moana while Dwayne Johnson returned as Maui, but strong performances alone couldn’t overcome growing criticism surrounding Disney’s remake formula. Fans have become increasingly vocal about wanting original stories instead of expensive recreations that rarely improve on their animated counterparts.
The timing didn’t help either. Family audiences already had several major releases competing for attention, including Minions & Monsters and Toy Story 5, forcing parents to choose between multiple PG-rated blockbusters during the same period.
Still, competition only tells part of the story.
Recent years have shown that audiences are willing to embrace live-action remakes when they offer something fresh. Films like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Lilo & Stitch crossed the billion-dollar mark because they arrived with strong nostalgia and enough novelty to justify their existence.
Moana, however, arrived less than two years after Moana 2. Instead of feeling like a nostalgic return, it felt like audiences were being asked to pay for a story they had only recently revisited.
Ironically, many early reactions praised Catherine Laga’aia’s performance, suggesting the issue wasn’t the cast but the creative direction. Viewers seemed ready to embrace a new Moana, but not necessarily the same journey told almost beat-for-beat.
Whether the film finds stronger legs in the coming weeks remains to be seen. Family films often enjoy longer theatrical runs thanks to positive word of mouth, and audience scores have been notably warmer than critics’ reviews.
Even so, Moana’s opening sends Disney an important message. Nostalgia alone is no longer enough. If the studio wants audiences to keep returning to these beloved classics, simply recreating animated favorites with real actors may no longer be the safest bet.
Sometimes, the most magical thing Disney can do is tell a brand-new story.